Indianapolis Clowns

Former professional baseball team in the Negro American League

Indianapolis Clowns

Logo

Information
League|

* Independent (c. 1930s–1941)
* Negro Major League (1942)
* Negro American League (1943–1955)
* Independent (1956–1962)

Location| Indianapolis, Indiana
Ballpark|

* Victory Field (1944-1948)[1]
* Crosley Field (1943-1947)[1]

Established| c. 1930s
Disbanded| 1962
Nickname(s)|

* Miami Giants (c. 1930s)
* Ethiopian Clowns (c. 1930s–1942)
* Cincinnati Clowns (1943)
* Cincinnati–Indianapolis Clowns (1944–1947)
* Indianapolis Clowns (1948–1962)

The Indianapolis Clowns were a professional baseball team in the Negro American League. Tracing their origins back to the 1930s, the Clowns were the last of the Negro league teams to disband, continuing to play exhibition games into the 1980s. They began play as the independent Ethiopian Clowns, joined the Negro American League as the Cincinnati Clowns and, after a couple of years, relocated to Indianapolis. Hank Aaron was a Clown for a short period, and the Clowns were also one of the first professional baseball teams to hire a female player.

## History

[edit]

For a list of annual win-loss records, see List of Indianapolis Clowns seasons.

### Founding

[edit]

Before becoming the Ethiopian Clowns, there is evidence indicating that the team was formed in Miami, Florida, in 1935 or 1936 by Hunter Campbell and bootlegger Johnny Pierce,[2] and was known as the Miami Giants, and, by 1941, as the Miami Ethiopian Clowns.[3] The team became an independent barnstorming club, shortening its name to the Ethiopian Clowns. Syd Pollock was instrumental in promoting and popularizing the Clowns and developed them into a nationally known combination of show business and baseball that earned them the designation as the Harlem Globetrotters of baseball.[4][5]

In 1943, the team was relocated to Cincinnati, where they became the Cincinnati Clowns. That same year they joined the Negro American League, beginning a 12-year membership in the circuit before withdrawing following the 1954 season. The team operated between Cincinnati and Indianapolis in 1944 and 1945 before officially moving to Indianapolis in 1946, playing as the Indianapolis Clowns for the rest of their existence.

Cincinnati Clowns Pennant [6]

The team won the league championship in 1951, 1952, and 1954.

### Barnstorming

[edit]

While still fielding a legitimate team, the Clowns also toured with several members known for comic acts — sort of a baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters, including Joe "Prince" Henry. As the Negro leagues declined in the late 1940s after the integration of Major League Baseball, the Clowns continued operations on barnstorming tours into the 1960s. The team relocated from Indianapolis to Offermann Stadium in Buffalo, New York, in 1951, while retaining the Indianapolis Clowns name. The Clowns left Buffalo after the 1955 season.[7]

By 1967 the Indianapolis Clowns were the last Negro league team still playing. The Clowns continued to play exhibition games into the 1980s, but as a humorous sideshow rather than a competitive sport. After many years of operation as a barnstorming team, the Clowns finally disbanded in 1989.[8]

## Hank Aaron and other notable players

[edit]

Statues of Toni Stone, Hank Aaron, and Mamie Johnson in the Riley Children's Health Sports Legends Experience at the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

For a more comprehensive list, see Indianapolis Clowns all-time roster.

By 1952, Syd Pollock signed Hank Aaron to his first professional contract, at $200 a month. Aaron played about three months as the Clowns' shortstop and cleanup hitter before being acquired by the Boston Braves organization for $10,000.

The Clowns fielded such stars as Buster Haywood, Hubert "Big Daddy" Wooten, DeWitt "Woody" Smallwood, showman and Harlem Globetrotter star "Goose" Tatum, and future Major Leaguers John Wyatt (Kansas City Athletics), Paul Casanova (Washington Senators), Hal King (Atlanta Braves), and Choo-Choo Coleman (New York Mets).

### Female players

[edit]

The Clowns were the first professional baseball team to hire a female player to a long-term contract that was not voided soon after. In an effort to replace Hank Aaron, who had left the team the previous year, the Clowns hired Toni Stone to play second base with the team in 1953, in which she batted .243.[9] The following year the Clowns sold her contract to the Kansas City Monarchs. They hired two women replacements: Pitcher Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, who would go on to record a record of 33-8 while batting between .262 and .284[10] on the team, and second baseman Connie Morgan. Women also served as umpires for the team; notably, former Chicago model Nancy Miller, was the first female umpire in pro ball.

## Cinematic legacy

[edit]

The 1976 movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, starring James Earl Jones, Billy Dee Williams, and Richard Pryor, is loosely based on the barnstorming of the Indianapolis Clowns.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Ashwill, Gary. "Indianapolis Clowns". Negro Leagues Database. Seamheads.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
2. ^ Neil Lanctot, "Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution." U. Penn. Press, 2004, p. 108.
3. ^ Staff writer (April 10, 1941). "Kansas City Monarchs Tackle Ethiopians". The Philadelphia Tribune. p. 11.
4. ^ Loverro, Thom (2003). The encyclopedia of Negro league baseball. Internet Archive. New York, NY : Facts of File. p. 146\. ISBN 978-0-8160-4431-3.
5. ^ "Barnstorming to Heaven". University of Alabama Press. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
6. ^ "Pennant for the Cincinnati Clowns". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
7. ^ Graham, Tim (September 22, 2004). "Class Clowns The Indianapolis Clowns Have A Rich Place In Buffalo Baseball History; For Example, Hank Aaron Was "Discovered" At Offermann Stadium". The Buffalo News.
8. ^ "History of the Indianapolis Clowns" (PDF). The Center for Negro League Baseball Research. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
9. ^ NLBPA (April 21, 2007). "Toni Stone". NLBPA. Archived from the original on April 16, 2007. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
10. ^ Green, Michelle Y. (2002). A Strong Arm: The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-8037-2661-1.

## Sources

[edit]

* The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues – James A. Riley. Publisher: Chelsea House, 1996. Format: Paperback, 124pp. Language: English. ISBN 0-7910-2592-6

## Further reading

[edit]

* Heward, Bill. Some are called Clowns: A season with the last of the great barnstorming baseball teams, ISBN 0-690-00469-9.
* Pollack, Alan J. (Author), James A Riley (Editor), "Barnstorming to Heaven: Syd Pollock and His Great Black Teams", ISBN 978-0817314958.

## External links

[edit]

* The Indianapolis Clowns: Clowns of Baseball
* Great History Blog – The Ethiopian Clowns
* Negro League Baseball Players Association website – 1940 Ethiopian Clowns
* Negro Leagues Baseball Museum – Syd Pollock Biography

* v
* t
* e

Indianapolis Clowns

* Operated 1930s–1960s
* Also known as Miami Giants, Ethiopian Clowns, Cincinnati Clowns and Indianapolis–Cincinnati Clowns
Based in Buffalo, New York, Indianapolis, Indiana, Cincinnati, Ohio and Miami, Florida

Franchise|

* Players
* Seasons

Ballparks|

* Buffalo: Offermann Stadium
Indianapolis: Victory Field
Cincinnati: Crosley Field

League affiliations|

* Negro Major League
* Negro American League

Hall of Famers|

* Hank Aaron
* Goose Tatum (basketball HoF)
* Willie Wells

Culture|

* The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings
* Syd Pollock
* Goose Tatum

League
pennants (3)|

* Negro American League: 1951
* 1952
* 1954

Seasons (~40+)

1930s|

* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939

1940s|

* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949

1950s|

* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959

1960s|

* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965  · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Negro American League (1937–1962)

Pre-integration
(1937–1948)|

* Atlanta Black Crackers/Indianapolis ABCs (IV) (1938–1939)
* Birmingham Black Barons (1937–1938, 1940–1962)
* Chicago American Giants (1937–1952)
* Cincinnati Tigers (1937)
* Cincinnati/Cleveland/Louisville Buckeyes (1942–1950)
* Detroit Stars (III) (1937)
* Indianapolis Athletics (1937)
* Cincinnati/Indianapolis Clowns (1943–1954)
* Toledo/Indianapolis Crawfords (1939–1940)
* Jacksonville Red Caps/Cleveland Bears (1938–1942)
* Kansas City Monarchs (1937–1962)
* Memphis Red Sox (1937–1959)
* St. Louis Stars (II) (1937)
* Indianapolis ABCs (II)/New Orleans–St. Louis Stars (1938–1941)

Post-integration
(1949–1962)|

* Baltimore Elite Giants (1949–1951)
* Detroit Stars/Clowns/Detroit–New Orleans Stars (1954–1960)
* Houston/New Orleans Eagles (1949–1951)
* Louisville Clippers (1954)
* Mobile Havana Cuban Giants (1957)
* New Orleans Crescent Stars (1957)
* Newark Indians (1959)
* New York Cubans (1949–1950)
* Philadelphia Stars (1949–1952)
* Raleigh Tigers (1959–1962)

Years in parentheses are years as a full member in the Negro American League. Years as an associate team are not noted.

* v
* t
* e

Negro league baseball

Players|

* List of players
* A–D
* E–L
* M–R
* S–Z
* First black players in MLB
* Negro leaguers who played in MLB

Post-season|

* List of Negro league baseball postseason games
* List of league champions
* Negro World Series

International competitions|

* American Series
* Serie Monumental

Teams|

* List of teams by state
* major league teams
* minor league teams
* Timeline of teams

Leagues|

| Major leagues|

* Negro National League (I)
* Eastern Colored League
* American Negro League
* East–West League
* Negro Southern League (I)
* Negro National League (II)
* Negro American League

|

Proto-leagues|

* Southern League of Colored Base Ballists (1886)
* National Colored Base Ball League (1887)
* International League of Independent Professional Base Ball Clubs (1906)
* National Association of Colored Baseball Clubs of the United States and Cuba (1907–1909)

Minor leagues|

* Negro Southern League (1920–1936)
* Texas Colored League (1919–1931)
* Negro American Association (1939)
* Negro Major League (1942)
* United States League (1945–1946)

Post-integration|

* Negro Southern League (1945–1951)
* West Coast Negro Baseball Association (1946)
* Negro American Association (1948–1949)
* Negro American League (1951–1960)

Related|

* No-hitters
* East–West All-Star Game
* Color line
* Museum

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[c.]: circa
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[~]: approximately